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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230629T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230629T200000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155945
CREATED:20230509T165745Z
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UID:18203-1688065200-1688068800@ritualwell.org
SUMMARY:ADVOT End-of-year Celebration
DESCRIPTION:Celebrate the end of our second year of ADVOT@Ritualwell\, our cohort of ritual innovators\, poets and liturgists. Members of our community will read work created this year and we’ll celebrate the publication of our second annual anthology Like a Tree By Water. \nPurchase the ADVOT anthology\, Like a Tree By Water. \nADVOT@Ritualwell is an online creative community of ritual innovators\, poets\, and liturgists who meet regularly to share work and support and empower each other to create and innovate Jewish ritual\, poetry\, and liturgy. Launched in 2021\, ADVOT means “ripples” in Hebrew. RIPL (pronounced “ripple”) is the acronym of “Ritual Innovators\, Poets\, Liturgists.” \nThank you to Lippman Kanfer Foundation for Living Torah for supporting ADVOT. \nThis event will be recorded and sent to registrants. \nWe are happy to offer this event for free. A suggested $18 donation has been added to the ticket. If you are unable to donate\, you may remove that suggested amount from the ticket. Please consider donating if you’re able\, to help us continue to offer free programs like this one. \nBy registering for a Ritualwell program you will be automatically added to our e-newsletter. You may unsubscribe at any time.
URL:https://ritualwell.org/event/advot-celebration/
CATEGORIES:ADVOT,Event,Free
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230615T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230615T153000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155945
CREATED:20220817T221402Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230602T203431Z
UID:11588-1686837600-1686843000@ritualwell.org
SUMMARY:Learning to Say “We”: Writing Identity
DESCRIPTION:June 15\, 22\, 29\, July 6\, 2023\n2:00–3:30 p.m. EST \nWe often talk about identity as though it were something we have always been and absolutely are. But identity is not fixed: it is a way of understanding ourselves that relates us to others. Identities can be temporary as name-tags and enduring as monuments; singular as snowflakes and (think of Whitman’s “Song of Myself”) encompassing as oceans. We can think of our identities as a collage\, or pointillist painting\, or an ongoing story\, or as the intersection of the histories that led to us and the social systems that surround us. American Jews\, in particular\, have no choice but to navigate multiple ways of identifying ourselves—as Jews\, as Americans\, as members of a racially stratified society\, as targets and beneficiaries of oppression\, as inheritors of and rebels against millennia of Jewish cultures and traditions. In this immersion\, we will reflect and expand on our personal experiences of identity\, using writing exercises and in-depth discussions to think about\, challenge\, discover\, explore\, and experiment with different ways to identify ourselves\, to consider how those ways connect us to and separate us from others\, and how they represent and misrepresent aspects of who we are. \nJoy Ladin is the author of twelve books\, including the National Jewish Book Award–winning revised second edition of The Book of Anna (EOAGH\, 2021); The Soul of the Stranger: Reading God and Torah from a Transgender Perspective (Brandeis UP)\, a finalist for both a Lambda Literary Award and Triangle Award; Through the Door of Life: A Jewish Journey between Genders\, a finalist for a National Jewish Book Award and winner of a Forward Fives Award; and ten books of poetry\, including Shekhinah Speaks; Fireworks in the Graveyard (Headmistress Press); Psalms; Forward Fives–award winner Coming to Life; and two Lambda Literary Award finalists\, Transmigration and Impersonation. She has been awarded a National Endowment for the Arts writing fellowship\, a Fulbright Scholarship\, an American Council of Learned Societies Research Fellowship\, and two Hadassah Brandeis Institute Research fellowships\, among other honors. She holds a Ph.D. in American Literature from Princeton University\, an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Massachusetts (Amherst)\, and a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College. \nAll sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.
URL:https://ritualwell.org/event/learning-to-say-we-writing-identity/2023-06-15/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Immersions
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://ritualwell.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/Learning-to-Say-We-JuneJuly-ForWeb-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230606T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230606T133000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155945
CREATED:20220817T221402Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230517T142323Z
UID:11589-1686052800-1686058200@ritualwell.org
SUMMARY:Tongues Shaped Like Harps: Experimenting with Poetry and Visual Art
DESCRIPTION:June 6\, 13\, 20\, 27\, 2023\n12:00–1:30 p.m. EDT \n“Pray in the tongues / that are shaped like harps” \n—From “Versöhnung” (Reconciliation)\, by Else Lasker-Schüler \nPoetry and visual art have a long history of inspiring each other. The German-Jewish poet Else Lasker-Schüler\, quoted above\, was influenced by Franz Marc and other Expressionist painters\, and her work\, in turn\, influenced other artists. In this immersion\, we’ll look at connections between a variety of Jewish poets and artists\, like Marc Chagall and Alexander Mazin\, and John O’Hara and Mike Goldberg. We’ll also look at creatives who work across different media\, like Jean Arp\, Tristan Tzara\, Marcia Falk\, and Maya Pindyck. These works will inspire our own experiments in writing ekphrastic poetry (poetry that responds to other art forms). We will also deepen our writing through simple exercises in drawing\, watercolor painting\, and collage. By playing with different media\, we will see how writing and art can open up new avenues of creativity in conversation with each other. All are welcome\, regardless of experience in writing poetry or artmaking. \nCathleen Cohen was the 2019 Poet Laureate of Montgomery County\, PA. A painter and teacher\, she founded the We the Poets program at ArtWell\, an arts education non-profit in Philadelphia. Her poems appear in journals such as Apiary\, Baltimore Review\, Cagibi\, East Coast Ink\, 6ix\, North of Oxford\, One Art\, Passager\, Philadelphia Stories\, Rockvale Review and Rogue Agent. Camera Obscura (chapbook\, Moonstone Press)\, appeared in 2017 and Etching the Ghost (Atmosphere Press) in 2021. She received the Interfaith Relations Award from the Montgomery County PA Human Rights Commission and the Public Service Award from National Association of Poetry Therapy. Her paintings are on view at Cerulean Arts Gallery (ceruleanarts.com). \nAll sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.
URL:https://ritualwell.org/event/tongues-shaped-like-harps-experimenting-with-poetry-and-visual-art/2023-06-06/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Immersions
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230524T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230524T133000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155945
CREATED:20220817T220255Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230517T141441Z
UID:11587-1684929600-1684935000@ritualwell.org
SUMMARY:Liturgy Writing for Prayer Leaders
DESCRIPTION:May 24\, 31\, June 7\, 14\, 21\, 28\, 2023\n12:00–1:30 p.m. EDT \nLiturgy may be poetry\, but is a poem necessarily liturgy? What turns a piece of writing into liturgy\, something you can use during a prayer service? In this immersion\, you will learn criteria and techniques to transform your poems and prayers into liturgy. In each session\, we will discuss a topic you might need to address during a prayer service or event; then you will be prompted to write your personal take on it\, as a first step toward creating your own liturgy. This immersion is for prayer leaders who have some experience writing prayers and want to receive feedback and hone their skills as liturgists in a supportive environment. \nTrisha Arlin is a liturgist\, writer\, performer\, and student of prayer in Brooklyn\, NY. She has served as a liturgist\, scholar\, and artist in residence and taught for venues including the National Havurah Committee’s Summer Institute\, Ritualwell.org\, Haggadot.com\, and for synagogues around the country. She is a builder of Bayit’s Liturgical Arts project. Trisha received a BA in Theater from Antioch College in 1975 and an MFA in Film (Screenwriting) in 1997 from Columbia University. In 2009/2010\, Trisha was an Arts Fellow at the Drisha Institute. In 2011\, she graduated from the sixth cohort of the Davennen Leadership Training Institute (DLTI). Trisha’s liturgy has been used in services\, for ritual occasions\, and at venues of many denominations nationwide. She is the author of Place Yourself: Words of Poetry and Intention (a collection of liturgy and kavannot). Her work has appeared in a variety of journals\, siddurim\, and collections of liturgy and can be found online at TrishaArlin.com\, Ritualwell.org\, and opensiddur.org. \nAll sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.
URL:https://ritualwell.org/event/liturgy-writing-for-prayer-leaders/2023-05-24/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Immersions
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230516T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230516T133000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155945
CREATED:20220817T221443Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230127T004707Z
UID:11586-1684238400-1684243800@ritualwell.org
SUMMARY:What My Hands Tell: Exploring Ekphrasis
DESCRIPTION:“My heart cannot bear to say what my hands tell.” —Maxine Silverman \nA certain alchemy happens when different art forms speak to each other\, which is known as ekphrasis. Poems that respond to visual art offer new avenues into expressing what the heart wants to say. In this session we will examine artwork and poems in relationship as they challenge and illuminate each other. We will explore ekphrastic poems and visual art from a variety of Jewish creatives (e.g.\, Maxine Silverman\, Celia Dropkin) to inspire our own writing. \nCathleen Cohen was the 2019 Poet Laureate of Montgomery County\, PA. A painter and teacher\, she founded the We the Poets program at ArtWell\, an arts education non-profit in Philadelphia. Her poems appear in journals such as Apiary\, Baltimore Review\, Cagibi\, East Coast Ink\, 6ix\, North of Oxford\, One Art\, Passager\, Philadelphia Stories\, Rockvale Review and Rogue Agent. Camera Obscura (chapbook\, Moonstone Press)\, appeared in 2017 and Etching the Ghost (Atmosphere Press) in 2021. She received the Interfaith Relations Award from the Montgomery County PA Human Rights Commission and the Public Service Award from National Association of Poetry Therapy. Her paintings are on view at Cerulean Arts Gallery (ceruleanarts.com). \nThe session will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience. \nWe are happy to offer this session for free. A suggested $18 donation has been added to the ticket. If you are unable to donate\, you may remove that suggested amount from the ticket. Please consider donating if you’re able\, to help us continue to offer free programs like this one.
URL:https://ritualwell.org/event/what-my-hands-tell-exploring-ekphrasis/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Free,Standalone session
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230515T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230515T133000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155945
CREATED:20220824T163041Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230127T001842Z
UID:13975-1684152000-1684157400@ritualwell.org
SUMMARY:Borrowed Language: The Cento and the Piyyut
DESCRIPTION:As Jewish writers\, we inherit an ocean of text with which to be in relationship. How can we make creative use of our lineage as People of the Book and play with the language we’ve been given? In this generative workshop\, we will explore two poetic forms of ancient origins: the Cento (Latin for patchwork) and the Piyyut (Hebrew for storytelling\, a liturgical poem)\, which both borrow heavily\, sometimes entirely\, from pre-existing textual materials in order to create something new. We’ll read classical and contemporary examples of these forms and explore what they share. Participants will be guided through writing exercises\, leaving with at least one new poem draft of their own. \nMónica Gomery is a rabbi and poet. Her work explores queerness\, diaspora\, ancestry\, theology\, and cultivating courageous hearts. Her second poetry collection\, Might Kindred\, won the 2021 Prairie Schooner Raz-Shumaker Book Prize and is forthcoming from the University of Nebraska Press\, fall 2022. She is the author of the poetry collection Here is the Night and the Night on the Road and the chapbook Of Darkness and Tumbling. Mónica serves as a rabbi at Kol Tzedek Synagogue and on the faculty of SVARA: A Traditionally Radical Yeshiva and is also a co-founder of Let My People Sing! \nThe session will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience. \nWe are happy to offer this session for free. A suggested $18 donation has been added to the ticket. If you are unable to donate\, you may remove that suggested amount from the ticket. Please consider donating if you’re able\, to help us continue to offer free programs like this one.
URL:https://ritualwell.org/event/borrowed-language-the-cento-and-the-piyyut/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Free,Standalone session
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230512T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230512T130000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155945
CREATED:20230317T013357Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230317T013719Z
UID:17572-1683892800-1683896400@ritualwell.org
SUMMARY:Gathering Waters: Mikveh Ritual Creation Workshop
DESCRIPTION:Water is an ancient source of healing and transformation in Jewish tradition. In the past few decades\, the ritual of mikveh immersion has been reimagined to include more and more voices and experiences\, particularly that of women and LGBTQ individuals. A collaboration between Mayyim Hayyim’s Rising Tide Open Waters Mikveh Network and Ritualwell\, join us for a special workshop on creating mikveh rituals. We’ll dive into Jewish sources on mikveh and look at examples of innovative contemporary rituals. We will then be invited to create our own mikveh rituals\, to workshop them in a small group\, and to share. This workshop is ideal for those who serve as mikveh guides or anyone looking to create their own\, personal mikveh ritual or to help others in that process. \n \nHila Ratzabi is director of virtual content and programs at Ritualwell.org. She has been with Ritualwell since 2015\, shepherding the publication of hundreds of poems\, prayers and rituals and creating innovative online programming. Born in Rehovot\, Israel\, and raised in Queens\, Ny.\, Ratzabi is a poet\, writer\, editor and writing coach. She is the author of a book of poetry\, There Are Still Woods (June Road Press\, 2022). She holds a BA in English/Creative Writing from Barnard College\, a BA in Jewish Philosophy from the Jewish Theological Seminary (Double Degree Program\, 2003)\, and an MFA in Poetry from Sarah Lawrence College (2007). Her poetry is published in a variety of literary journals and in The Bloomsbury Anthology of Contemporary Jewish American Poetry. She lives in Oak Park\, Il.\, outside Chicago\, with her husband and two children. Learn more at http://www.hilaratzabi.com/. \nThis session will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience. \nWe are happy to offer this session for free. A suggested $18 donation has been added to the ticket. If you are unable to donate\, you may remove that suggested amount from the ticket. Please consider donating if you’re able\, to help us continue to offer free programs like this one. \nMayyim Hayyim is a 21st century creation\, a mikveh rooted in ancient tradition\, reinvented to serve the Jewish community of today. Mayyim Hayyim is a resource for learning\, spiritual discovery\, and creativity where women\, men\, and people of all genders and ages can celebrate milestones like weddings and b’nai mitzvah; where conversion to Judaism is accorded the honor and dignity it deserves; where survivors of trauma\, illness or loss find solace; and where those who immerse monthly can explore the ritual on their own terms. Mayyim Hayyim is a fountain of creativity that\, since its opening in 2004\, inspired new liturgies and curricula\, publications\, music\, artwork\, and plays. \nThe mission of the Rising Tide Open Waters Mikveh Network is to inspire\, strengthen and support communities that embrace an open\, inclusive and welcoming approach to ritual immersion as a way to mark life transitions. \nRitualwell is the most extensive online resource that curates original Jewish rituals for Jews and fellow seekers. We publish rituals\, ceremonies\, prayers and poems to mark sacred moments in Jewish life. Through creating and sharing rituals\, hosting Ritualwell Immersions (online learning experiences) and curating an online Judaica shop\, Ritualwell fosters a supportive environment for Jewish creativity\, spiritual growth and discovery.
URL:https://ritualwell.org/event/gathering-waters-mikveh-ritual-creation-workshop/
CATEGORIES:Free,Standalone session
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230511T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230511T133000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155945
CREATED:20230126T191003Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230127T001430Z
UID:16738-1683806400-1683811800@ritualwell.org
SUMMARY:Creating Jewish Liturgy for Juneteenth
DESCRIPTION:May 11 & 18\, 2023\, 12:00–1:30 p.m. EST \nJoin us for a two-part workshop inviting people of all backgrounds\, but specifically Black (and Jewish) individuals and allies\, to give voice to the significance of Juneteenth through writing. In the first session\, we will spend time working in havruta (in pairs) or alone to create prayers\, poems\, liturgy\, or songs that engage meaningfully with the day. In the second session\, we will come together to share our final pieces and reflect on the process of writing for Juneteenth. \nThis workshop is an opportunity to honor and celebrate the liberation of enslaved African Americans in the United States\, and to give voice to the experiences and perspectives of Black individuals. All levels of writing experience are welcome. We hope you will join us in this meaningful and creative exploration of Juneteenth. \n \nRabbi Sandra Lawson (she/her) is the Inaugural Director of Racial Diversity\, Equity\, and Inclusion at Reconstructing Judaism and one of the first African American\, queer\, female rabbis. In 2020\, the Forward named Lawson to its “Forward 50\,” proclaiming her a “truth teller.” Prior to joining Reconstructing Judaism\, Lawson served as the Associate Chaplain for Jewish Life and the Senior Jewish Educator at Hillel at Elon University in North Carolina. She is also the founder of Kol Hapanim – All Faces – an inclusive Jewish community that is relevant\, accessible\, and rooted in tradition\, where all who come are welcomed\, and diversity is embraced. She has also served as the investigative researcher for the Anti-Defamation League’s Southeast Region\, becoming the go-to person when law enforcement in the South needed information on hate groups. Lawson lives in North Carolina with her wife Susan and three “fur babies”: Izzy\, Bridget and Simon. \nThe sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience. \nWe are happy to offer these two sessions for free. A suggested $36 donation has been added to the ticket. If you are unable to donate\, you may remove that suggested amount from the ticket. Please consider donating if you’re able\, to help us continue to offer free programs like this one.
URL:https://ritualwell.org/event/creating-liturgy-for-juneteenth/2023-05-11/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Free,Standalone session
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230503T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230503T133000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155945
CREATED:20220817T221443Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230127T000427Z
UID:11585-1683115200-1683120600@ritualwell.org
SUMMARY:The Access Code: Naming God and Opening to Prayer
DESCRIPTION:The first line of the traditional liturgical prayer is the petikhah (the opening)\, where we name and describe the One we will be in holy conversation with and then state the basic premise of the prayer. Traditionally\, we gain access to God by praying to Adonai\, Melekh HaOlam\, the “Lord\, King of the Universe\,” but we can call God by any name\, gendered or not\, hierarchical or not\, depending of who or what we need to pray to or for. In this session\, we will explore the petikhah and how to use it to create our own prayers. \nTrisha Arlin is a liturgist\, writer\, performer\, and student of prayer in Brooklyn\, NY. She has served as a liturgist\, scholar\, and artist in residence and taught for venues including the National Havurah Committee’s Summer Institute\, Ritualwell.org\, Haggadot.com\, and for synagogues around the country. She is a builder of Bayit’s Liturgical Arts project. Trisha received a BA in Theater from Antioch College in 1975 and an MFA in Film (Screenwriting) in 1997 from Columbia University. In 2009/2010\, Trisha was an Arts Fellow at the Drisha Institute. In 2011\, she graduated from the sixth cohort of the Davennen Leadership Training Institute (DLTI). Trisha’s liturgy has been used in services\, for ritual occasions\, and at venues of many denominations nationwide. She is the author of Place Yourself: Words of Poetry and Intention (a collection of liturgy and kavannot). Her work has appeared in a variety of journals\, siddurim\, and collections of liturgy and can be found online at TrishaArlin.com\, Ritualwell.org\, and opensiddur.org. \nAll sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience. \nWe are happy to offer this session for free. A suggested $18 donation has been added to the ticket. If you are unable to donate\, you may remove that suggested amount from the ticket. Please consider donating if you’re able\, to help us continue to offer free programs like this one.
URL:https://ritualwell.org/event/the-access-code-naming-god-and-opening-to-prayer/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Free,Standalone session
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230420T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230420T133000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155945
CREATED:20220817T220253Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230517T141921Z
UID:11584-1681992000-1681997400@ritualwell.org
SUMMARY:Reclaiming the Hebrew Goddess & Writing Her Anew
DESCRIPTION:April 20\, 27\, May 4\, 11\, 18\, June 1\, 2023\n12:00–1:30 p.m. EST \nFor thousands of years before patriarchal monotheism took hold\, our ancestors worshipped the Divine Feminine. In this immersion\, we will take a deep dive into the legacy of the Hebrew goddess\, from her ancient biblical and Near Eastern roots to her demise at the hands of our prophets and scribes\, from her reemergence in mystical Judaism to her manifestations in Judaism today. Discover where her secrets are hidden and reclaim her for your own\, for the earth\, and for the generations to come. We will engage in thoughtful reflection and inspired creative writing with guided writing prompts. Join gynocentric Torah scholar\, creative writing professor\, and student rabbi Sivan Rotholz as we harvest the bounty of the Divine Feminine in Jewish tradition. No previous creative writing experience or knowledge of the goddess required. \nSivan Rotholz is a professor of gynocentric Torah and creative writing. She has taught at Brooklyn College\, Tel Aviv University\, Columbia/Barnard Hillel\, Moishe House\, and elsewhere\, and has shared her Torah in synagogues and living rooms across the globe. Her writing has appeared in the Jewish Journal\, 929\, and Ritualwell\, among other publications. She is the Education Director for Achayot – Jewish Women Writers\, and is pursuing rabbinic ordination from Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion. \n  \nAll sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.
URL:https://ritualwell.org/event/reclaiming-the-hebrew-goddess-writing-her-anew/2023-04-20/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Immersions
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://ritualwell.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/Reclaiming-the-Hebrew-Goddess-Writing-Her-Anew-AprilMay23-ForWeb-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230419T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230419T150000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155945
CREATED:20220824T180141Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220824T180141Z
UID:14151-1681912800-1681916400@ritualwell.org
SUMMARY:ADVOT@Ritualwell Studio sessions - Spring semester
DESCRIPTION:Join in for a time to create and connect!
URL:https://ritualwell.org/event/advotritualwell-studio-sessions-spring-semester/2023-04-19/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:ADVOT,Monthly program
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230418T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230418T133000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155945
CREATED:20220817T221429Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20221121T135433Z
UID:11582-1681819200-1681824600@ritualwell.org
SUMMARY:From Brokenness to Healing: Making Meaning through Memoir
DESCRIPTION:April 18\, 25\, May 2\, 9\, 16\, 23\, 2023\n12:00–1:30 p.m. EST \nHow can we make meaning from returning to a challenging or traumatic life experience on the page? What does it mean to write from the scar rather than the wound? And how can we find a spiritual lens in which to frame our trauma? In this six-week workshop\, we will focus on the definition of trauma\, how returning to it can help heal\, how writing structure and pacing can help contain it\, and how we can revision ourselves before and after. There will be opportunities to share work and receive feedback from the instructor on works in progress. \nEllen Blum Barish is the author of the spiritual memoir Seven Springs (Shanti Arts\, 2021)\, the essay collection Views from the Home Office Window (Adams Street Publishing\, 2007)\, and a contributor to Chicago Storytellers From Stage to Page (Chicago Story Press\, 2020). You can find her personal essays in Tablet\, Lilith\, Brevity’s Blog\, Full Grown People\, Literary Mama\, and The Chicago Tribune and hear them on Chicago Public Radio. She founded the literary publication Thread\, which earned four notables in Best American Essays. Ellen has taught writing at Northwestern University\, Chicago-area synagogues\, and writer’s studios\, including Story Studio Chicago and Lighthouse Lit Fest. She works privately with writers on essay collections and memoir. \nAll sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.
URL:https://ritualwell.org/event/from-brokenness-to-healing-making-meaning-through-memoir/2023-04-18/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Immersions
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230417T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230417T133000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155945
CREATED:20220817T220228Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230106T185456Z
UID:11581-1681732800-1681738200@ritualwell.org
SUMMARY:Recognizing the Good: Writing Jewish Prayers and Poems of Gratitude
DESCRIPTION:April 17\, 24\, May 1\, 8\, 15\, 22\, 2023\n12:00–1:30 p.m. EST \nJudaism offers many opportunities to express gratitude\, from the morning blessing Modeh Ani to Shabbat and holidays. To inspire poetic and liturgical writing\, join us for a deep dive into the Jewish language of gratitude – hakarat hatov. Among our explorations: gratitude as a spiritual practice; hidden meanings in the language of gratitude; language that undermines gratitude; and the connection between prayer and gratitude. We’ll learn together and write from the heart. \n \nAlden Solovy spreads joy and excitement for prayer. An American Israeli liturgist\, lyricist\, poet\, author\, and educator\, Alden is the Liturgist-in-Residence for the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies. Alden teaches prayer and spirituality throughout the world. Based in Jerusalem\, his six solo books include These Words: Poetic Midrash on the Langauge of Torah\,This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day\, This Joyous Soul: A New Voice for Ancient Yearnings\, and This Precious Life: Encountering the Divine with Poetry and Prayer\, all published by CCAR Press. A regular contributor to Ritualwell and a member of the Ritualwell Immersion faculty\, his work is anthologized in more than 20 other volumes across the religious spectrum. Alden also contributes regularly to RavBlog\, ReformJudaism.org\, and the Times of Israel. He’s a three-time winner of the Peter Lisagor Award for Exemplary Journalism. Alden made aliyah to Jerusalem in 2012. See his work at www.tobendlight.com. Alden can be reached at alden@tobendlight.com. \n  \nAll sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.
URL:https://ritualwell.org/event/recognizing-the-good-writing-jewish-prayers-and-poems-of-gratitude/2023-04-17/
CATEGORIES:Immersions
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://ritualwell.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/Recognizing-the-Good-AprMay-Raw-for-Web.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230328T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230328T120000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155945
CREATED:20220817T221429Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230316T152344Z
UID:11580-1680004800-1680004800@ritualwell.org
SUMMARY:How to Write Trauma Without Retraumatizing Yourself
DESCRIPTION:Writing about trauma can help organize thoughts\, regulate emotions\, encourage us to reach out for support\, and enable us to discover meaning. But revisiting trauma on the page can be triggering. We will talk about how to write about traumatic experiences without retraumatizing ourselves or overwhelming our readers and what keeps writers grounded and writing. \nEllen Blum Barish is the author of the spiritual memoir Seven Springs (Shanti Arts\, 2021)\, the essay collection Views from the Home Office Window (Adams Street Publishing\, 2007)\, and a contributor to Chicago Storytellers From Stage to Page (Chicago Story Press\, 2020). You can find her personal essays in Tablet\, Lilith\, Brevity’s Blog\, Full Grown People\, Literary Mama\, and The Chicago Tribune and hear them on Chicago Public Radio. She founded the literary publication Thread\, which earned four notables in Best American Essays. Ellen has taught writing at Northwestern University\, Chicago-area synagogues\, and writer’s studios\, including Story Studio Chicago and Lighthouse Lit Fest. She works privately with writers on essay collections and memoir. \nThis session will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience. \nWe are happy to offer this session for free. A suggested $18 donation has been added to the ticket. If you are unable to donate\, you may remove that suggested amount from the ticket. Please consider donating if you’re able\, to help us continue to offer free programs like this one.
URL:https://ritualwell.org/event/how-to-write-trauma-without-retraumatizing-yourself/
CATEGORIES:Free,Standalone session
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230313T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230313T120000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155945
CREATED:20230106T184212Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230126T235807Z
UID:16647-1678705200-1678708800@ritualwell.org
SUMMARY:Poetic Midrash: A Conversation between Hila Ratzabi and Alden Solovy
DESCRIPTION:Join Ritualwell’s Hila Ratzabi in conversation with liturgist Alden Solovy in discussion of his new book\, These Words: Poetic Midrash on the Language of Torah. Hila and Alden will explore creative midrash and the process he used to write 70 poetic midrashim on individual words of Torah. Alden will also read selections from the book and discuss the Torah learning behind several of the poems. \n \nAlden Solovy spreads joy and excitement for prayer. An American Israeli liturgist\, lyricist\, poet\, author\, and educator\, Alden is the Liturgist-in-Residence for the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies. Alden teaches prayer and spirituality throughout the world. Based in Jerusalem\, his six solo books include These Words: Poetic Midrash on the Language of Torah\, This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day\, This Joyous Soul: A New Voice for Ancient Yearnings\, and This Precious Life: Encountering the Divine with Poetry and Prayer\, all published by CCAR Press. A regular contributor to Ritualwell and a member of the Ritualwell Immersion faculty\, his work is anthologized in more than 20 other volumes across the religious spectrum. Alden also contributes regularly to RavBlog\, ReformJudaism.org\, and the Times of Israel. He’s a three-time winner of the Peter Lisagor Award for Exemplary Journalism. Alden made aliyah to Jerusalem in 2012. See his work at www.tobendlight.com. Alden can be reached at alden@tobendlight.com. \nThe session will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience. \nWe are happy to offer this event for free. A suggested $18 donation has been added to the ticket. If you are unable to donate\, you may remove that suggested amount from the ticket. Please consider donating if you’re able\, to help us continue to offer free programs like this one.
URL:https://ritualwell.org/event/poetic-midrash-a-conversation-between-hila-ratzabi-and-alden-solovy/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Event,Free
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://ritualwell.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/Poetic-Midrash-A-Conversation-between-Hila-Ratzabi-and-Alden-Solovy-Raw-for-Web.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230308T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230308T133000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155945
CREATED:20220907T213807Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20221121T135309Z
UID:15032-1678276800-1678282200@ritualwell.org
SUMMARY:Inner and Outer Peace Work Inspired by Etty Hillesum
DESCRIPTION:March 8\, 15\, 22\, 29\, 2023\n12:00–1:30 p.m. EST \nWe live in times of transition\, witnessing a huge change in humanity\, a time that calls us to face many challenges in the political arena. We need to find our voices to contribute to the change we aspire to see. We can find strength through solidarity\, deep listening\, and spiritual connection. The diaries of Etty Hillesum represent a woman who found her own path of spiritual resistance against a totalitarian regime and ideology. She searched for inner freedom\, chose to believe in the humanness of all people\, even her so-called “enemies\,” and carried a vision of a better future in her heart no matter how hard life seemed. Using her writings as the basis for our inquiry\, we will ask: What is peace work? How can we channel our anger and frustration so that it does not control us? How can we develop spiritual resilience\, face thoughts of despair that sometimes threaten to take over\, and step out of victimhood? What is our spiritual source? What is our vision for a better world? We will read excerpts from Hillesum’s diaries and discuss the topics of inner and outer peace\, inner freedom\, healing hatred\, and spiritual development. We will engage in writing exercises\, meditation\, and group sharing. All are welcome. \nDina Awwad-Srour and Emma Sham-ba Ayalon are passionate women and peace workers who work for social change and global healing. Dina (Palestinian) is a lecturer and a writer on issues of women’s empowerment and sexuality. Emma Sham-Ba (Israeli) is a rabbi\, poet\, and artist. They created the Etty Hillesum Cards in three languages (English\, Hebrew\, and Arabic) in order to share the inspiration of Hillesum’s writings with others. \n  \n  \nAll sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.
URL:https://ritualwell.org/event/inner-and-outer-peace-work-inspired-by-etty-hillesum-2/2023-03-08/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Immersions
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230308T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230308T133000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155945
CREATED:20220817T220211Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230222T203312Z
UID:11573-1678276800-1678282200@ritualwell.org
SUMMARY:Inner and Outer Peace Work Inspired by Etty Hillesum
DESCRIPTION:March 8\, 15\, 22\, 29\, 2023\, 12:00–1:30 p.m. EST \nWe live in times of transition\, witnessing a huge change in humanity\, a time that calls us to face many challenges in the political arena. We need to find our voices to contribute to the change we aspire to see. We can find strength through solidarity\, deep listening\, and spiritual connection. The diaries of Etty Hillesum represent a woman who found her own path of spiritual resistance against a totalitarian regime and ideology. She searched for inner freedom\, chose to believe in the humanness of all people\, even her so-called “enemies\,” and carried a vision of a better future in her heart no matter how hard life seemed. Using her writings as the basis for our inquiry\, we will ask: What is peace work? How can we channel our anger and frustration so that it does not control us? How can we develop spiritual resilience\, face thoughts of despair that sometimes threaten to take over\, and step out of victimhood? What is our spiritual source? What is our vision for a better world? We will read excerpts from Hillesum’s diaries and discuss the topics of inner and outer peace\, inner freedom\, healing hatred\, and spiritual development. We will engage in writing exercises\, meditation\, and group sharing. All are welcome. \nDina Awwad-Srour and Emma Sham-ba Ayalon are passionate women and peace workers who work for social change and global healing. Dina (Palestinian) is a lecturer and a writer on issues of women’s empowerment and sexuality. Emma Sham-Ba (Israeli) is a rabbi\, poet\, and artist. They created the Etty Hillesum Cards in three languages (English\, Hebrew\, and Arabic) in order to share the inspiration of Hillesum’s writings with others. \n  \nAll sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.
URL:https://ritualwell.org/event/inner-and-outer-peace-work-inspired-by-etty-hillesum/2023-03-08/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Immersions
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230302T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230302T133000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155945
CREATED:20221208T221006Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230209T215249Z
UID:16299-1677758400-1677763800@ritualwell.org
SUMMARY:Story Magic: Fiction Writing Through a Jewish Lens\, Part 2
DESCRIPTION:March 2\, 9\, 16\, 23\, 30\, 2023\n12:00–1:30 p.m. EST \nFrom biblical and midrashic narratives to contemporary fiction published in literary journals\, good stories ignite our imaginations and serve as portals to the human experience. In this generative workshop\, we’ll explore the craft of fiction through reading and writing as we unfold the wings of imaginative prose. Each week we’ll discuss a short story\, assimilate craft techniques\, and write from prompts. This workshop is suitable for poets\, journalists\, fiction writers\, and curious readers. While this immersion is a continuation of the fall series\, new participants are encouraged to join.\n \nAmy Gottlieb‘s debut novel The Beautiful Possible was a finalist for the 2017 Harold U. Ribalow Prize\, a 2016 National Jewish Book Award and Edward Lewis Wallant Award. Her fiction and poetry have been published in Other Voices\, Lilith\, Puerto del Sol\, Ilanot Review\, On Being\, Zeek\, Storyscape\, The Bloomsbury Anthology of Contemporary Jewish American Poetry\, and elsewhere. She has received a Literary Fellowship and Residency from the Bronx Council on the Arts\, and an Arts Fellowship from the Drisha Institute for Jewish Education. Amy is a graduate of Clark University and the University of Chicago. She lives with her family on the edge of the Hudson River in New York City. \nAll sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.
URL:https://ritualwell.org/event/story-magic-fiction-writing-through-a-jewish-lens-part-2/2023-03-02/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Immersions
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230228T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230228T133000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155945
CREATED:20220817T221428Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230214T164810Z
UID:11578-1677585600-1677591000@ritualwell.org
SUMMARY:Jewish Art as Self-Defense
DESCRIPTION:February 28\, March 7\, 14\, 21\, 2023\n12:00–1:30 p.m. EST \nThroughout history\, Jewish artists have used their art as a tool for empowerment in the face of adversity. Join Black\, Queer Jewish artist Ayeola Omolara Kaplan for a deep dive into creating artwork informed by Jewish social justice work. We will learn about Jewish artists and how their Jewish identity inspired their “art-ivism.” Ayeola will guide participants in creating an art piece in whichever medium they are most comfortable (visual\, written\, vocal\, dance\, etc.) in response to a social/environmental issue of their choice. This immersion will support both new and experienced creatives in learning to use art as a form of self-defense. By the end of the immersion\, we each will have created a piece of art meant to empower us and developed art practices that we can return to during difficult times. We will celebrate the magic of creating art\, and how to approach the creative process within the lens of Jewish spirituality. \n\nYou do not need to be experienced to create art. Art is a language we can all use. All you need is your enthusiasm to have fun and try something new.\nThere will be some designated time during each session for working on our art pieces; however\, we encourage participants to spend some time outside of each session working on their piece. This ensures that we can spend most of the immersion learning/discussing/sharing with each other.\n\nAyeola Omolara Kaplan (she/her) is a Black\, Queer\, and Jewish artist. Through depicting the intersections of identity\, class\, and spirituality\, Ayeola hopes to meaningfully contribute to the growing body of revolutionary art. Her work features electrifying\, surrealist imagery\, created to celebrate the empowerment of oppressed people. In her experience\, art is equally a spiritual and political medium. Art is the language that Ayeola uses to fully reclaim the power within herself. She hopes that through sharing her work\, she is able to help spread joy and inspire folks to live truthfully and committed to building a world where we can all experience peace\, freedom\, and equity. \nAll sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.
URL:https://ritualwell.org/event/jewish-art-as-self-defense/2023-02-28/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Immersions
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://ritualwell.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/Jewish-Art-as-Self-Defense-FebMar23-ForWeb.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230222T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230222T133000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155945
CREATED:20220907T174747Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230207T193232Z
UID:15026-1677067200-1677072600@ritualwell.org
SUMMARY:The Thinking Heart: Facing our Fears with the Wisdom of Etty Hillesum
DESCRIPTION:“Let me be the thinking heart of these barracks.” – Etty Hillesum \nThese powerful words were written from within Camp Westerbork\, a transit camp in the Netherlands\, by one of the most extraordinary writers during the Holocaust. Etty Hillesum was murdered in Auschwitz in 1943 at the age of 29. The diaries that she wrote in the last two years of her life are a document full of love\, spirituality\, compassion\, and trust in life. With Hillesum as our inspiration\, we will challenge ourselves to tap into our own “thinking hearts”: to face our feelings with awareness\, to see the “other” without animosity\, hatred\, or bitterness. We will explore how Hillesum’s teachings can support the healing of individuals and nations. We will ask: What does it mean to be the thinking heart in times ruled by violence and fear? How can we connect with the power of our hearts? What is the guidance of my thinking heart? The session will include meditation\, writing exercises\, and group sharing. \nDina Awwad-Srour and Emma Sham-ba Ayalon are passionate women and peace workers who work for social change and global healing. Dina (Palestinian) is a lecturer and a writer on issues of women’s empowerment and sexuality. Emma Sham-Ba (Israeli) is a rabbi\, poet\, and artist. They created the Etty Hillesum Cards in three languages (English\, Hebrew\, and Arabic) in order to share the inspiration of Hillesum’s writings with others. \nThe session will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience. \nWe are happy to offer this session for free. A suggested $18 donation has been added to the ticket. If you are unable to donate\, you may remove that suggested amount from the ticket. Please consider donating if you’re able\, to help us continue to offer free programs like this one.
URL:https://ritualwell.org/event/the-thinking-heart-facing-our-fears-with-the-wisdom-of-etty-hillesum/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Free,Standalone session
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://ritualwell.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/The-Thinking-Heart-Square-Social-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230209T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230209T133000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155945
CREATED:20220817T220227Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20221121T134834Z
UID:11577-1675944000-1675949400@ritualwell.org
SUMMARY:Language at the Edge: Exploring Holocaust Poetry
DESCRIPTION:February 9\, 16\, 23\, March 2\, 9\, 16\, 2023\n12:00–1:30 p.m. EST \nJoin us for an in-depth look at the poetry of the Holocaust\, some of the most profound poetry of witness known to humankind. These poems are borne within the extremity of survival and they are\, as such\, evidence of what occurred. They are also poems about the limits of language itself to convey the unimaginable. In this immersion\, we will read deeply from a selection of poets who wrote about the Holocaust and learn about their lives\, their stories\, their survival\, and their language. At the same time\, we will explore our own lives\, our family histories\, and what it means to live in a post-Holocaust world. From these stories we will begin to form our own poems of witness. \nRachel Neve-Midbar is a poet and essayist. Her first full-length poetry collection\, Salaam of Birds\, was chosen by Dorothy Barresi for the Patricia Bibby First Book Prize and was published by Tebot Bach in January 2020. She is also the author of the 2014 chapbook\, What the Light Reveals. Her work has appeared in many journals and anthologies. A current Ph.D. candidate at the University of Southern California\, Rachel is also editor of Stained: An Anthology of Writing about Menstruation for the AuntFlo2020 Project. More at rachelnevemidbar.com. \n  \n  \nAll sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.
URL:https://ritualwell.org/event/language-at-the-edge-exploring-holocaust-poetry/2023-02-09/
CATEGORIES:Immersions
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://ritualwell.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/Language-at-the-Edge-Exploring-Holocaust-Poetry-Jan26-ForWeb.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230207T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230207T133000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155945
CREATED:20220817T220227Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230126T215205Z
UID:11576-1675771200-1675776600@ritualwell.org
SUMMARY:Jewish Art as Prayer: A Guided Art Session
DESCRIPTION:Jewish artists over the centuries have used art as a form of prayer. In this interactive session\, we’ll learn about the evolution of Jewish art and begin a new piece of art of your own. Participants are encouraged to bring in an image of their favorite piece of Jewish art that will become part of our discussion. We will close by sketching a piece inspired by an aspect of Judaism that is meaningful to us. Together we’ll learn about the rich history of Jewish art\, engage with others interested in incorporating art into spiritual practice\, and create in a supportive environment. Participants are welcome to use the medium of art most comfortable for them (written/vocal/visual/movement\, etc.). No art experience necessary. Bring your enthusiasm to try something new! \nAyeola Omolara Kaplan (she/her) is a Black\, Queer\, and Jewish artist. Through depicting the intersections of identity\, class\, and spirituality\, Ayeola hopes to meaningfully contribute to the growing body of revolutionary art. Her work features electrifying\, surrealist imagery\, created to celebrate the empowerment of oppressed people. In her experience\, art is equally a spiritual and political medium. Art is the language that Ayeola uses to fully reclaim the power within herself. She hopes that through sharing her work\, she is able to help spread joy and inspire folks to live truthfully and committed to building a world where we can all experience peace\, freedom\, and equity. \nThe session will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience. \nWe are happy to offer this session for free. A suggested $18 donation has been added to the ticket. If you are unable to donate\, you may remove that suggested amount from the ticket. Please consider donating if you’re able\, to help us continue to offer free programs like this one.
URL:https://ritualwell.org/event/jewish-art-as-prayer-a-guided-art-session/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Free,Standalone session
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://ritualwell.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/Jewish-Art-as-Prayer-Feb-7-ForWeb-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230126T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230126T133000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155945
CREATED:20220817T220227Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230109T152250Z
UID:11575-1674734400-1674739800@ritualwell.org
SUMMARY:Survival of the Word: Poetry for International Holocaust Remembrance Day
DESCRIPTION:Many of us have heard of Paul Celan and his haunting poem of the Holocaust\, “Death Fugue”: “Black milk of daybreak\, we drink you at night…” In preparation for International Holocaust Remembrance Day\, we’ll learn about some of Celan’s contemporaries: Nelly Sachs\, Bertolt Brecht\, Dan Paris\, Abba Kovner\, Primo Levi\, Ida Fink\, Abraham Sutzkever and many more\, who wrote about one of the darkest moments in history. We will explore a bit about these poets’ biographies\, how they survived the Holocaust\, where they settled\, the languages they wrote in\, and sample their powerful poetry. \nRachel Neve-Midbar is a poet and essayist. Her first full-length poetry collection\, Salaam of Birds\, was chosen by Dorothy Barresi for the Patricia Bibby First Book Prize and was published by Tebot Bach in January 2020. She is also the author of the 2014 chapbook\, What the Light Reveals. Her work has appeared in many journals and anthologies. A current Ph.D. candidate at the University of Southern California\, Rachel is also editor of Stained: An Anthology of Writing about Menstruation for the AuntFlo2020 Project. More at rachelnevemidbar.com. \n  \nThe session will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience. \nWe are happy to offer this session for free. Please consider adding a donation to Ritualwell to help us continue to offer free programs like this one!
URL:https://ritualwell.org/event/survival-of-the-word-poetry-for-international-holocaust-remembrance-day/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Free,Standalone session
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://ritualwell.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/Survival-of-the-Word-Jan26-ForWeb.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230125T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230125T133000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155945
CREATED:20220817T220227Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230119T181135Z
UID:11574-1674648000-1674653400@ritualwell.org
SUMMARY:Miracles and the Strange: Writing Inspiration from Sephardic Folktales and Modern Speculative Fiction
DESCRIPTION:January 25\, February 1\, 8\, 15\, 22\, March 1\, 2023\n12:00–1:30 p.m. EST \nTraditional Sephardic folktales take the experience of the marginalized Jewish diaspora and create narratives of hope and justice through inexplicable miracles and magical events. In this generative workshop\, we will use these folktales of miracles as inspiration to write our own speculative stories\, using elements of the strange amid a backdrop of realism. We will look to modern fiction by Karen Bender\, Lina María Ferreira Cabeza-Venegas\, Shirley Jackson and Samanta Schweblin\, and examine how these writers grapple with social and cultural experiences\, especially the realities of violence\, misogyny\, and anti-Semitism\, through speculative approaches to storytelling. By the end of the workshop\, each participant will have developed the beginning of their own piece of writing (in any genre) confronting social anxieties\, fears\, and the lived experience of being Jewish in this moment in history. \nLeslie Contreras Schwartz is a multi-genre writer\, a 2021 Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellow\, and was the 2019–2021 Houston Poet Laureate. She is the author of four collections of poetry\, including Black Dove / Paloma Negra (FlowerSong Press\, 2020)\, a finalist for the Helen C. Smith Memorial Award for 2020 Best Book of Poetry from the Texas Institute of Letters; Fuego (St. Julian Press\, 2016); and Nightbloom & Cenote (SJP\, 2018)\, a semi-finalist for the 2017 Tupelo Press Dorset Prize\, judged by Ilya Kaminsky. Her poet laureate community projects include Writing and Mindfulness: Creative Writing Exercises\, a free e-book on mindfulness and writing\, and the poetry film IT’S A MASK IT’S A VIRUS IT’S A KNEE\, a collective\, communal poetry film composed of poems written by Houstonians about their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is currently a faculty member at Alma College’s MFA low-residency program in creative writing. For more about her work\, visit lesliecschwartz.com. \nAll sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.
URL:https://ritualwell.org/event/miracles-and-the-strange-writing-inspiration-from-sephardic-folktales-and-modern-speculative-fiction/2023-01-25/
CATEGORIES:Immersions
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://ritualwell.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/Miracles-and-the-Strange-JanFebMar-ForWeb.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230125T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230125T133000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155945
CREATED:20220817T220210Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20221214T210537Z
UID:11569-1674648000-1674653400@ritualwell.org
SUMMARY:Dreamwork as a Window to the Soul
DESCRIPTION:January 25\,  February 1\, 15\, March 1\, 15\, 29\, 2023\n12:00–1:30 p.m. EST \n“A dream unexplored is like a letter not read\,” says Rabbi Hisda in the Talmud (Brachot 55b). The biblical Jacob before him called his dream a portal to the Divine. Kabbalists after them both called dreaming a form of prophecy. \nFor many of us\, dreams have become especially vivid during these tumultuous times. Whether or not that is true for you\, dreams are an invitation to look deeper. They can be a window to your soul and a channel for your divine inner voice. In six sessions\, I will introduce you to the wonderful world of dreamwork in the method I was taught\, which is primarily a Gestalt approach\, influenced by my experience in spiritual companionship. The main principle in my dreamwork is that the dream belongs to the dreamer\, and only the dreamer holds the key to decipher it. The role of the dreamworker is to help the dreamer understand their own dream\, not interpret it for them. \nParticipants will be asked to start keeping a dream journal before the immersion begins\, and together\, we will share and work our dreams. Topics will include: keeping a dream journal\, learning to “interview” our dream elements\, the ego in the dream\, following your intuition and curiosity\, dreamwork as a spiritual practice\, and more. Participants will be paired off into hevruta dream partners\, and you will be invited to work together practicing the method between sessions\, which will be every other week. Together\, we will discuss texts on dreams in pairs and as a group\, and work one another’s dreams in class\, with me demonstrating and offering guidance. \nRabbi Dr. Haviva Ner-David is the rabbinic founder of Shmaya: A Mikveh for Mind\, Body\, and Soul\, the only mikveh in Israel open to all to immerse as they choose. Ordained as both a rabbi and an interfaith minister\, certified as a spiritual companion (with a specialty in dream work)\, and with a doctorate on mikveh from Bar Ilan University\, she offers mikveh guidance and spiritual companioning for individuals and couples\, as well as mikveh workshops and classes for groups. Rabbi Haviva is the author of three spiritual journey memoirs and a novel. Her most recent memoir\, Dreaming Against the Current: A Rabbi’s Soul Journey\, is about her journey into interspirituality and dreamwork. Her two previous spiritual journey memoirs are titled: Chanah’s Voice: A Rabbi Wrestles with Gender\, Commandment\, and the Women’s Rituals of Baking\, Bathing\, and Brightening\, and Life on the Fringes: A Feminist Journey Towards Traditional Rabbinic Ordination\, a runner up for the National Jewish Book Council Awards. Hope Valley\, her debut novel\, is about the friendship between a Palestinian and a Jewish woman in Galilee\, where Haviva lives. She is also the mother of seven and lives with FSHD\, a form of muscular dystrophy\, which has been one of her greatest teachers. \nAll sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.
URL:https://ritualwell.org/event/dreamwork-as-a-window-to-the-soul/2023-01-25/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Immersions
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230118T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230118T133000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155945
CREATED:20220817T220211Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20221111T173557Z
UID:11572-1674043200-1674048600@ritualwell.org
SUMMARY:Wonder and Awe: Poetry as Play and Inquiry
DESCRIPTION:Poets are lovers of language play: riffing with lyricism and idiosyncratic phrases to describe a thought\, creating eccentric rhythms and sound patterns\, using different types of speech\, or blending references from sources as disparate as the Bible to pop culture. A poet’s writing practice is cultivated by a sense of the wonder often found in child’s play—trying out new possibilities with language and seeing how it can be shaped differently to share our individual experiences. In this session\, we will look at poets who engage with the creative fire and dance of language play as a tool to make serious inquiries about the world around us. We will read the work of Jewish poets Samuel Ace\, Rosebud Ben-Oni\, and Erika Meitner. We will experiment with writing our own short poems that involve play and thoughtfulness. \nLeslie Contreras Schwartz is a multi-genre writer\, a 2021 Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellow\, and was the 2019–2021 Houston Poet Laureate. She is the author of four collections of poetry\, including Black Dove / Paloma Negra (FlowerSong Press\, 2020)\, a finalist for the Helen C. Smith Memorial Award for 2020 Best Book of Poetry from the Texas Institute of Letters; Fuego (St. Julian Press\, 2016); and Nightbloom & Cenote (SJP\, 2018)\, a semi-finalist for the 2017 Tupelo Press Dorset Prize\, judged by Ilya Kaminsky. Her poet laureate community projects include Writing and Mindfulness: Creative Writing Exercises\, a free e-book on mindfulness and writing\, and the poetry film IT’S A MASK IT’S A VIRUS IT’S A KNEE\, a collective\, communal poetry film composed of poems written by Houstonians about their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is currently a faculty member at Alma College’s MFA low-residency program in creative writing. For more about her work\, visit lesliecschwartz.com. \nThe session will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience. \nWe are happy to offer this session for free. Please consider adding a donation to Ritualwell to help us continue to offer free programs like this one!
URL:https://ritualwell.org/event/wonder-and-awe-poetry-as-play-and-inquiry/
CATEGORIES:Free,Standalone session
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://ritualwell.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/Wonder-and-Awe-Jan23-ForWeb.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230110T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230110T133000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155945
CREATED:20220817T221403Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20221215T175037Z
UID:11571-1673352000-1673357400@ritualwell.org
SUMMARY:Words of Power: Writing from the Language of Torah
DESCRIPTION:January 10\, 17\, 24\, 31\, February 7\, 14\, 2023\n12:00–1:30 p.m. EST \nTapping into the layers of meaning in key words of Torah will be our gateway into writing poetic midrash and interpretive Torah. Building on his forthcoming book from CCAR Press\, These Words: Poetic Midrash on the Language of Torah\, poet and liturgist Alden Solovy will open the well of Torah wisdom in words ranging from God’s names to the mysteries of creation. \nAlden Solovy spreads joy and excitement for prayer. An American Israeli liturgist\, lyricist\, poet\, author\, and educator\, Alden is the Liturgist-in-Residence for the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies. Alden teaches prayer and spirituality throughout the world. Based in Jerusalem\, his five solo books include This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day\, This Joyous Soul: A New Voice for Ancient Yearnings\, and the newly released This Precious Life: Encountering the Divine with Poetry and Prayer\, all published by CCAR Press. A regular contributor to Ritualwell and a member of the Ritualwell Immersion faculty\, his work is anthologized in more than 20 other volumes across the religious spectrum. Alden also contributes regularly to RavBlog\, ReformJudaism.org\, and the Times of Israel. He’s a three-time winner of the Peter Lisagor Award for Exemplary Journalism. Alden made aliyah to Jerusalem in 2012. See his work at www.tobendlight.com. Alden can be reached at alden@tobendlight.com. \nAll sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.
URL:https://ritualwell.org/event/words-of-power-writing-from-the-language-of-torah/2023-01-10/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Immersions
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://ritualwell.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/Words-of-Power-Writing-from-the-Language-of-Torah-JanFeb23-ForWeb.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230109T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230109T130000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155945
CREATED:20220824T175458Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220824T175936Z
UID:14089-1673265600-1673269200@ritualwell.org
SUMMARY:ADVOT@Ritualwell Studio sessions - Winter semester
DESCRIPTION:Join in for a time to create and connect!
URL:https://ritualwell.org/event/advotritualwell-studio-sessions-winter-semester/2023-01-09/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:ADVOT,Monthly program
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20221221T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20221221T133000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155945
CREATED:20220817T220210Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20221111T173311Z
UID:11568-1671624000-1671629400@ritualwell.org
SUMMARY:Dreaming Against the Current: Exploring Spiritual Modalities
DESCRIPTION:In this session\, we will explore some of Rabbi Haviva’s favorite spiritual companioning modalities\, including dreamwork\, nature soul work\, and inner child work. She will read excerpts from her new memoir\, Dreaming Against the Current: A Rabbi’s Soul Journey\, as examples of the modalities at work\, and participants will be given prompts to begin to do some of that work themselves. There will be time for sharing as well. Participants are encouraged to come prepared with a pencil and notebook for journaling as well as an image from a dream\, a significant childhood event you feel changed your life in some way\, and a favorite animal\, tree\, or any other aspect of nature. \nRabbi Dr. Haviva Ner-David is the rabbinic founder of Shmaya: A Mikveh for Mind\, Body\, and Soul\, the only mikveh in Israel open to all to immerse as they choose. Ordained as both a rabbi and an interfaith minister\, certified as a spiritual companion (with a specialty in dream work)\, and with a doctorate on mikveh from Bar Ilan University\, she offers mikveh guidance and spiritual companioning for individuals and couples\, as well as mikveh workshops and classes for groups. Rabbi Haviva is the author of three spiritual journey memoirs and a novel. Her most recent memoir\, Dreaming Against the Current: A Rabbi’s Soul Journey\, is about her journey into interspirituality and dreamwork. Her two previous spiritual journey memoirs are titled: Chanah’s Voice: A Rabbi Wrestles with Gender\, Commandment\, and the Women’s Rituals of Baking\, Bathing\, and Brightening\, and Life on the Fringes: A Feminist Journey Towards Traditional Rabbinic Ordination\, a runner up for the National Jewish Book Council Awards. Hope Valley\, her debut novel\, is about the friendship between a Palestinian and a Jewish woman in Galilee\, where Haviva lives. She is also the mother of seven and lives with FSHD\, a form of muscular dystrophy\, which has been one of her greatest teachers. \nThe session will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience. \nWe are happy to offer this session for free. Please consider adding a donation to Ritualwell to help us continue to offer free programs like this one!
URL:https://ritualwell.org/event/dreaming-against-the-current-exploring-spiritual-modalities/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Free,Standalone session
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://ritualwell.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/Dreaming-Against-the-Current-Exploring-Spiritual-Modalities-Dec22-ForWeb.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20221219T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20221219T133000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155945
CREATED:20220817T220209Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20221111T173216Z
UID:11567-1671451200-1671456600@ritualwell.org
SUMMARY:Healing Through Writing: For Cancer Survivors and Those Facing Illness
DESCRIPTION:Cancer\, like other forms of serious illness\, is not simply a physical experience\, but also emotional and spiritual. In order to heal from a cancer experience\, we must address all three aspects. The physical healing is directed by our healthcare teams. There are many ways to heal emotionally and spiritually\, but we often find ourselves navigating this on our own. Luckily\, there are many ways we can enhance our healing. This session will focus on writing and ritual as a means of healing\, which has been studied as an effective way to heal from both physical and emotional trauma. Led by Melissa K. Rosen\, two-time cancer survivor\, a member of ADVOT’s first cohort\, and the Director of Training and Education at Sharsheret: The Jewish Breast and Ovarian Cancer Community. This program is open to all who have been impacted by illness. \nMelissa K. Rosen\, Sharsheret’s Director of Training and Education\, holds a master’s degree in Jewish Communal Service from Brandeis University and has been working in the non-profit sector for over 30 years. Her professional experience includes informal education and programming\, advocacy\, and community outreach. Melissa has facilitated unique and lasting connections among organizations in the diverse American Jewish community. Melissa oversees community education throughout the country\, training health care professionals\, Jewish professionals\, and Sharsheret’s volunteers. She also manages Sharsheret’s Community Partnerships. Herself a two-time cancer survivor\, Melissa has used writing as a healing technique. She is passionate about the Jewish community and cancer support and advocacy. \nThe session will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience. \nWe are happy to offer this session for free. Please consider adding a donation to Ritualwell to help us continue to offer free programs like this one!
URL:https://ritualwell.org/event/healing-through-writing-for-cancer-survivors-and-those-facing-illness/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Free,Standalone session
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://ritualwell.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/Healing-Through-Writing-For-Cancer-Survivors-and-Those-Facing-Illness-Dec22-ForWeb.png
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